Posted by terrepruitt on February 9, 2012
In Nia we have FreeDance. FreeDance allows for so many things. One way we FreeDance is we dance to the music with no choreography. We let our bodies sense the music and allow it to move us. When we let our body move freely without thinking and without judging it is a great workout. Many of the Nia Routines have songs where there is no choreography and we just FreeDance, and many of the routines have choreography in addition to FreeDance. Our feet might have set patterns, but our arms and hands are free. Or our arms and hands might have the pattern and our feet are free. Many combinations of dance, choreography, and body parts. Nia FreeDance also has stages. A Nia teacher can call upon these stages for many things. The stages in FreeDance are used for learning a new routine, they might be used as a focus in a class, they might be used for a playshop, we have many options. In Nia FreeDance the fourth stage is The Creative Source – The Real You.
With this stage during the White Belt Nia Intensive I participated in, we were instructed to remember a situation and tell ourself the story of the situation and allow ourself to feel the emotion of that situation. We all walked around the room telling ourselves a story. Some of us talked out loud, some of us were silent. All of us used the emotion the story evoked to move. Our movements might not have been considered a dance by some, because in this stage we are not necessarily dancing. We are not moving our bodies with the intent of dance, we are allowing the emotion from the story to move our bodies. Depending upon the story it could appear as if our movements were a dance. Yet, since we do “dance through life” in Nia, all of our movements are a dance . . . just not the typical dance. In this stage we are not intent upon dancing.
The purpose of FreeDance is to the purpose of stimulate movement creativity. So we use the stages to assist in that. So using a story and the emotions along with the story can really allow for movement we might not have thought to bring to the dance floor. Some stories we use to practice stage 4 might be happy, some might be sad, some might be filled with anger, whatever the story and the emotion it is what moves us.
In the intensive there was all types of movements when we practiced this stage. There was stomping, jumping, running, rolling, skipping, punching, kicking, screaming, laughing, smiling, frowning . . . . all types as you can imagine would occure with a group of people with many different stories. As stated this is a tool to awaken different movement.
When we dance I think that we have a tendency to move in the same pattern. We might move in different patterns to different types of music or different beats, but there might just be a handful of different patterns. When we are challenged by using the different tools of Nia, when we practice and play with the eight stages of FreeDance we move in different ways. Sometimes muscles that don’t normally get to join us in our dance come alive. They are happy to be allowed to join in on the dance.
Using different muscles than we normally do in our dance fuels the creativity even further. When you let go and FreeDance you will be surprised. Here I invite you to try this fourth stage of FreeDance. I suggest choosing music without lyrics. Sometimes lyrics and interfere with FreeDance when trying to practice specific stages because lyrics can sometimes compel certain movements or emotions. So music without lyrics allows for you tell the story and listen to your body’s response to the emotion.
Well, what story are you going to tell?
Posted in FreeDance, Nia | Tagged: dance pattern, Nia, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia creativity, Nia Dance, Nia FreeDance, Nia FreeDance stage 4, Nia Intensive, Nia Playshop, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, Nia White Belt | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 7, 2012
I always want to share with you, what is going on in relation to Nia, but I know that there are other things to share about besides my upcoming new evening Nia class in Campbell (Oh, please forgive me, I am soooooo excited, I just HAD to put it out there. And, be warned, I will do it again!). I was walking by my newly purchased container of yeast when I remembered hearing about Nutritional Yeast. I know I have actually heard about it before, but I dismissed it as regular old yeast but with a fancy name. Let me remind you I have been afraid of yeast. Silly, I know, but . . . Anyway . . . when I was growing up my father was really into all the health food stuff. Stuff that you could not find in any store, but a health food store. All the stuff people are now eating, most people thought was weird back then. Not only was it weird, but it was hard to find. There was not a health food store on every corner and in every mall. But because of my dad, I would bet I heard about it way back then. I just saw it in a recipe recently so I looked it up. It is not regular yeast. In fact, it has been deactivated. See activating and deactivating fungus, come on, can you kinda see why it was a bit scary to me? So Nutritional Yeast has been deactivated.
According to all the sources I see Nutritional Yeast is used often by vegans and vegetarians because it has a great nutritional value. Two heaping tablespoons gives you:
ONLY: 1 gram of fat and 5 mgs of sodium (WOW!)
320 mg of potassium
5 g of carbohydrates
4 g of dietary fiber
9 g of protein (It is a complete protein)
It is FULL of B vitamins. B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6, and B-12.
Although one does not normally just EAT two tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast. It is added to things. And again, from what I am seeing you can add it to pretty much anything! Sprinkle it on all your foods from salad to popcorn. Put it in a smoothie or added it to a meat marinade.
Informational reports say that it does have a flavor. What I am seeing is that it has a strong nutty type of flavor. Some say a cheesy flavor. So often it will be used to add the flavor of cheese to things. Whenever I see that I want to go get some. Then I get to the store and forget. I even was at the store and bought the aforementioned regular yeast but forgot all about this stuff.
Nutritional yeast is sugar-free and gluten-free. So it is a great way to get a little bit of flavor and extra nutrition.
Do you use it? I know a lot of you are much more kitchen/cooky/foodie savvy than me, so you have probably heard about it and even know what it is. Have you used it? Have you tasted it? How would YOU describe its taste?
Tell me, I wanna know!
Posted in Food | Tagged: activated yeast, Campbell Nia, deactivated yeast, evening Nia class, gluten free, health food, health food store, Nia, Nia Campbell, Nia class, Nutritional yeast, vegans, vegetarians | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 4, 2012
My last non-Nia post was about appetite suppressants, natural kinds. The first thing I listed was almonds. As always when I post something, even if I get the idea from somewhere else I like to look up facts for myself. I feel better if there are a few sources confirming what I post about. Often in my fact finding/confirming search I find other things, maybe other things entirely or other facts.
First of all the almond is a seed and not a nut. Always makes me laugh when I learn stuff like this because all my life I thought of it as a nut . . . still do. Almonds have a lot of fat, with 15 grams of fat per ounce, that is 23% of the Daily Value. But it is the monounsaturated fat, the kind that we need, but still not too much.
Per ounce they have about three grams a fiber. I think they are a nice addition to fiber you are already eating but should not be the only source as you would need to eat almost 4 ounces to get 10 grams of fiber. That would be 60 grams of fat.
Studies have shown almonds to help in lowering cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Almonds seems to have the ability to help keep blood sugar even which can help reduce the risk of diabetes. They contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant. The magnesium and potassium help with blood flow and blood pressure. Almonds are naturally gluten free.
Nutrient Values of Almonds: Single Serving (1 ounce)
Calories—–170.0
Protein—–6.0 g Daily Value—–12%
Carbohydrate—–6.0 g Daily Value—–2%
Fat—–15.0 g Daily Value—–23%
Fats
Cholesterol 0.000 mg Daily Value—–0%
Saturated Fat 1.5 g Daily Value—–8%
Mono Fat 10.0 g
Poly Fat 3.0 g
Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber 3.0 g Daily Value—–12%
Vitamins
Vitamin E 10.0 IU Daily Value—–35%
Riboflavin 0.22 mg Daily Value—–4%
Niacin 0.95 mg Daily Value—–4%
Vitamin B6 0.03 mg Daily Value—–2%
Folate 17.0 mcg Daily Value—–4%
Minerals
Potassium 207.0 mg Daily Value—–6%
Iron 1.0 mg Daily Value—–6%
Calcium 75.0 mg Daily Value—–8%
Magnesium 84.0 mg Daily Value—–20%
Phosphorous 147.0 mg Daily Value—–14%
Zinc 1.0 mg Daily Value—–6%
Copper 0.27 mg Daily Value—–14%
From Nutfarm
According to Wiki, there are no truly RAW almonds grown in and sold from California:
Because of two cases of salmonellosis traced to almonds in 2001 and 2004, the Almond Board of California proposed rules in 2006 regarding pasteurization of almonds available to the public, and the USDA approved them. The almond pasteurization program became mandatory for the California industry on September 1, 2007, and was implemented voluntarily over the previous two years. Since September 1, 2007, raw untreated California almonds have technically not been available in the United States. Controversially, California almonds labeled as “raw” are required to be steam-pasteurized or chemically treated with propylene oxide. This does not apply to imported almonds, or to almonds sold from the grower directly to the consumer in small quantities. Nor is the treatment required for raw almonds sold as exports to countries outside of North America.
I found the fact that California Almonds sold as “raw” are not really raw to be very interesting. Hmmmm. So much of what food labels say is untrue and deceitful. I don’t know why I was surprised.
So in case you are wondering what “propylene oxide” is besides just the chemical that California Almonds are treated with. It was according to Wiki “a racing fuel, but that usage is now prohibited under the US NHRA rules for safety reasons. It has also been used in glow fuel for model aircraft and surface vehicles.” Yes, they use a RACING FUEL that is now prohibited for safety reasons to treat California Almonds. I think I would take my chances with salmonellosis. There were TWO cases of that, but now they are treating our almonds with a, yes, get this—-a “probable human carcinogen”.
It seems as if California Almonds might not really be that healthy after all considering they are probably being treated with a chemical that has “been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 2B: The agent (mixture) is possibly carcinogenic to humans.” According to the California Almond Board:
PPO is also a surface treatment which has been approved for use on foods since 1958, . . . . PPO is very effective at reducing harmful bacteria on almonds and poses no risk to consumers. In fact, PPO residue dissipates after treatment.
Also according to the board Organic Almonds are steam pasteurized.
So I guess that “raw” almonds is the same as “No trans fat” on food labels. And along with all the other chemicals IN our food and used to TREAT, GROW, and MANIPULATE the very DNA of our food, there is no risk posed to consumers. Meanwhile Americans grow more obese and unhealthy and more and more drugs sold as medicine are being pushed upon the public.
I started this post ready to extol the benefits of almonds, but now all I can say is eat at your own risk, along with all of our food supply.
Posted in Food | Tagged: Almond Board of California, appetite suppressants, California Almonds, DNA, good fat, good fiber, good protein, Nia, obese American, Organic Almonds, pasteurized almonds, probable human carcinogen, propylene oxide, raw almonds, salmonella, unhealthy American, USDA, Wiki | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 2, 2012
In a post in which I spoke about learning a Nia Routine I said we need to know it perfectly. I would like to explain. First of all I have written before about how when I am learning a Nia routine there comes a point where I just can’t learn any more by myself and I have to take it to class. Always fascinates me how I can spend weeks working on learning it then in one hour in class I learn more than all the time I had spent on it previously. Dance exercise is like that. Teaching something is always different learning, it is a different level. Anyway I had recently said we have to know a routine perfect and what I mean by that is the better we know the music and the choreography, the closer to perfect we can get it, the better. I can do a routine without flaw in my living room then when faced with trucks driving by, kids screaming at the school, people laughing in the lobby I can get distracted. If I don’t know my music perfectly, if I don’t know the choreography perfectly then I will obviously mess up. But when I know it “perfectly” then I can not do it right, but still dance and lead the routine fine. I can mess up without saying, “Oops!” If I know where I am and what is coming I can keep going. Maybe I missed my cue to change movement, but when I know the music I can decide if I just want to stay with the move we are on or go to the next one. If I decide to go, do I want to cut the amount of times short because I was late or do the correct amount because it too fits perfectly with the music? When I KNOW it perfectly, I am free to play and really let the dance of Nia show. I can be perfect in my imperfection.
I might not teach the routine exactly as it is taught on the DVD, but I know what I am doing different and I know where I am going with the music. We teach tight, but loose. I know the moves, I execute them correctly, I do the choreography exactly as the DVD — when I can :-), but, when I mess up I am loose enough to keep going. I am loose enough to see my students enjoying one particular combination of steps, so I can elect to stay and let them enjoy their movements. I know my routine tight enough that when my earring falls off and I get a bit distracted, I can keep going AND expertly step over and around it as it lays on the dance floor. I am loose enough to be able to change the choreography by having to HOP over the fallen jewelry instead of exectuing the normal step. I am loose enough to have fun but tight enough that even when I mess up, I might be the only one that knows. It could be that there are students in class who know the routine well enough that they recognize I am not doing the choreographed move, but they can keep following and dancing because I am tight enough to be able to lead and dance in the now.
Because Nia is about dancing in the moment and having fun we are allowed a lot of freedom. I say this often because Nia allows for people to move in their own body’s way and that is an important part of Nia. But I also like to remind people that Nia IS choreographed. The moves fit the music well and there are proper and safe ways to do them. I like to express the fact that Nia is not just a room full of bodies flaling about. We are all encouraged to be perfect in our imperfection. Our bodies might not move exaclty as they are designed, but we can move with awareness. We can move with purpose. That is how I teach. I like it best when I know the routine so well that I can play and be perfect in my imperfection.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance awareness, dance class, dance exercise, dance floor, dance routine, exercise class, Nia choerography, Nia Dance, Nia DVD, Nia Music, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, perfect in imperfection, tight but loose | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 31, 2012
Almonds – They have everything good in a meal; carbohydrates, fiber, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. If you don’t have a nut allergy they are a great snack.
Water – If you drink water you feel full. In fact research has stated that sometimes the body indicates dehydration as hunger. So it could be that you are not really hungry but dehydrated and in need of water.
Ginger – Is also an appetite suppressant. Not only does it help suppress, but as mentioned on my blog before it helps with digestion once you do eat.
Avocado – Studies have shown that the body converts an acid contained in the avocado to a hormone that increases the feeling of satiety and fullness. But just as with almonds they do contain a high amount of fat so the key is still moderation.
Coffee – The caffeine, coffee stimulates the central nervous system and can suppresses the appetite. Suppressing the appetite yet drinking a lot of cream and sugar might not give you the result you want, so black coffee could be the answer. Don’t drink too much because then you could get jittery AND hungry!
Apples – With the fiber and the bulk an apple can help fill you up and help with regulating your system.
Sweet Potatoes – As a complex carbohydrate a sweet potato can give you the feeling of fullness and sustained energy.
Tofu – Studies have shown that the hormone peptide is an appetite suppressant. Tofu is a great source of protein and it is protein that is responsible for the release of this hormone. Helps explain why a breakfast with protein keeps you feeling full longer than one just full of simple carbohydrates.
Wasabi – Some say spicy foods make you feel full. If you like hot and spicy you can be the judge.
Green Tea – Research has proven that green tea helps you feel full. As with all of these listed, it really is up to you and what you think, but I am sure you have heard about the other benefits of green tea with its anti-oxidants. Remember unless you get decaffeinated green tea, it does have caffeine.
Oatmeal – Slow cook oatmeal has a lot of fiber. Fiber helps you feel full and stay full.
Green leafy veggies – With leafy greens it is fiber and the fact that you can eat a lot and actually GET full! So leafy greens actually fill you AND suppress the appetite.
Salmon – Salmon has Omega 3, fat helps you feel full. It also has protein.
Flax Seeds – Omega 3 and fiber. A winning combination.
Cinnamon – Since cinnamon helps stabilize blood sugar and there is a link between hunger and blood sugar levels, it is logical that cinnamon would help suppress or at least help stabilize the feeling of being hungry or full.
Pine Nuts – Remember, we have already said that protein helps suppress the appetite, well, Pine nuts contain the highest amount of protein of any nut or seed. They also affect the hormones that work to signal the brain that you’re no longer hungry.
Some of these can be eaten as a snack in between meals to help you from being too hungry and maybe eating something unhealthy. Or then can be added to a meal to help you feel more satisfied and stay full longer. Or you can combine them to help you keep from in between meal snacking.
You can add wasabi to your salmon. Throw some flax seeds, pine nuts, or almonds on your leafy greens. Sprinkle some cinnamon in your coffee. Add some ginger to your water. Apple in your oatmeal. Avocado and tofu? Either way you have some health natural ways to suppress your appetite and/or keeping you feeling full and satisfied. What do you think?
Posted in Food | Tagged: almonds, avocado, cinnamon, fiber, ginger, green tea, hormones, Natural Appetite Suppressants, pine nuts, slow cook oatmeal, spicy food | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 28, 2012
I spent a large portion of the day practicing Alive, it is the Nia routine I am starting to teach. I debuted it Friday, but I need to practice and practice. In Nia we say, “tight but loose”. So I need to know the music and choreography to perfection which allows me to dance with it and play to it is loose and flowing and fun to my Nia students. So practice and play is the key. I was so busy having fun with it I didn’t have a lot of time to come up with a blog post. Because I also spent some time in the kitchen making a different version of my Baby Bok Choy and Spinach Soup recipe. The people I made it for convinced me that it was good enough that I could use my adaptation of my Baby bok choy and spinach soup recipe as a post. So here goes.
Parsnips, Broccoli, Baby bok choy, and Spinach Soup
–olive oil
–1 medium sized onion chopped (save some for garnish)
–2 parsnips (chopped)
–1 bunch of broccoli (chopped)
–4 bundles of baby bok choy (bottom portion separate from leafy portion, chop both and leave separate, they are added to the soup at different times)
–2 or 3 tsp of minced garlic
–1.5 tsp granulated garlic
–1.5 tsp garlic salt
–48 oz of chicken broth
–a half of bottle or can of beer
–shake or two of teriyaki
–small piece (3/4 of an inch) of ginger, chopped
–3/4 of a 6-oz bag of spinach
–1.5 (ish) wooden spoonful of cream cheese spread whipped with chives
Sautee chopped onion in the olive oil. When the onions look tender add in the chopped parsnip, add granulated garlic and garlic salt. Cook parsnip until it seems a bit tender, then add the bottom portion of the bok choy and broccoli. Let it cook a minute, then add the minced garlic. Sautee until tender. Then pour in the broth. Add about a half can or bottle of beer and the few splashes of teriyaki. Stir it as you feel necessary throughout the entire process. Bring to boil. Add the cream cheese if you are going to use it. Add the ginger. Add leafy portion of the bok choy and bag of spinach. Let cook for a few minutes or until the veggies are wilted. Once the veggies looked wilted use the blender to mix it all up. (I use the immersion blender so I can keep it all in the same pot. Please remember to be cautious of the steam.)
The parsnips give this a little difference flavor and the broccoli leaves little green specks in the soup no matter how much you blend it. Actually when you look at it, it looks the same as all the other soup I make. But it tastes different.
I was trying to make something easy to eat for someone with a sore throat. This soup is kind of thick yet easy to swallow and it packs a punch with all the vegetables it contains. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and let me to continue to share my soup experiments and at the same time put spending time with friends and family at the forefront of life!
Enjoy!
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: baby bok choy, beer in soup, broccoli, family time, garlic, immersion blender, Nia Music, Nia routine, Nia routine Alive, Nia students, Nia Teacher, parsnips, soup recipe, spinach, teaching Nia, vegetable soup, veggie purees | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 26, 2012
Sometimes there are things I just don’t understand. I find that when I ask I get answers. So my questions today revolve around packaging and waste. I am not meaning to pick on any on particular company but I am so confused as to why, in a world where we are trying to reduce waste and we have to pay for bags in which to put the stuff we just purchased, is it ok to package things like this. To me both of these packages are a waste.
I have a Nia student who always smells great and she told me the name of the perfume. I asked her if she would mind if I bought some and she said, no. It was before Christmas and I thought it would be a great gift idea for my husband to get for me. I love it when people tell me what they want and I try to help him out that way too. Since he was really busy AND there was other things that was on his mind he decided we could just order it online. I was excited. New perfume. But when I opened the box the only thing I was thinking is, “You have got to be kidding me!!!! Is it REALLY necessary to have ALL of this packaging for one bottle of perfume?” As I said, since I am not trying to necessarily bad mouth the company, I tried to take a picture that didn’t directly show the name, but you can see there is a piece of folded cardboard that goes first around the bottle, then that goes in the box, then there is a sheath that goes around that. Why? Just the ONE box would do just fine, I don’t think there is really any reason for the inner piece of cardboard and the sheath. To me the whole thing reeked of wastefulness. I was actually somewhat disappointed in the company because of that.
Then I was at the grocery store and I was faced with this. REALLY?!?!?! First of all prepackaging fruits and veggies sticks me with more than I want and second it seems like a HUGE waste of material. I could have easily used one bag to put my two zucchinis in, but no, I was forced to by five and they are packaged with a papery-plastic sheet, inside a plastic tray, wrapped with more plastic, and then labeled with even more papery-plastic. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? How is that being responsible and cutting down on waste? FOUR things, instead of one bag? I just don’t get it.
I don’t understand when we are forced to be “green” in some areas, but in other areas waste like this is allowed to continue. This type of stuff confuses me. I am not sure the shiny material that the sheath was made out of can be recycled, but I put it in the recycling along with the rest of the wasteful packaging.
Whew. Ok, thanks, I am done with my rant. 🙂 Do you ever come across packaging of a product that you feel is excessive?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: being green, Christmas gift, going green, green, Nia, Nia student, perfume, recycle, wasteful, wasteful packaging | 18 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 24, 2012
The Nia Class on Friday that I teach is at a studio that recently re-located from Los Gatos to San Jose. Being in a newish area I found myself dropping by a store I don’t normally frequent. I ended up buying some tea. I know that green tea is supposed to be good for you and I found myself liking Chai, so I was happy to find some Green Tea Chai. Gently spiced with cinnamon and anise. The box also makes statements about ginger, cardamom, and licorice. I thought it just HAD to be good. I had just purchased some honey from a local bee keeper and I was so excited to try the honey with this tea. I came home and made a cup. I was very disappointed. It didn’t taste like anything, except the honey itself (which is fantastic, by the way!). It didn’t have a flavor that I could detect at all. I had been thinking that along with some of the benefits from green tea, I would be getting benefits from the cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, and I would also get some flavor. With all of that in the tea I thought there would be something. Maybe I clearly didn’t see the “gently spiced”. But I was disappointed.
I thought I would try spicing it up myself. So I added my own ginger, cinnamon, and I even added nutmeg. I figured that I would be able to reap the benefits of the spices if I put them directly in my tea. I ended up making a pretty tasty beverage. I would imagine that I could add my own spices to hot water and make any type of “tea” I want. I know it shouldn’t really be called tea as tea is make with actually leaves from a plant and not just spices. All I need to know is it tastes good and it helps keep me warm (it has been a bit cold around here lately).
And, as I said, I can get the benefits from some of the spices. Granted the spices do tend to sink to the bottom of the mug in a wet pile, but if you keep it stirred you actually drink them. That would be the point—to drink them.
One day, I grabbed the cayenne pepper instead of cinnamon — and you frequent readers must know — I DO NOT tolerate spice at all. I don’t like heat. I made a really spicy hot concoction. I saved it for my hubby, because it didn’t TASTE bad it was just to hot for me and I thought he would like it. He did. So I guess I can make him some spicy hot beverages too.
As a reminder, ginger is an anti-inflammatory, so it is good for the body to help keep chronic inflammation at bay. It also has some nutrients and is used as a digestive aid. I usually use the powdered kind for my tea, but when I have the actual root I toss a little piece in my mug.
Cinnamon is also an anti-inflammatory food. I have thought to add it to my coffee before and as stated in this post, my tea, but now I will just start making a spice hot water mix. Cinnamon is also consider a digestive aid. So why not just add some spices to some hot water and see what you come up with? Or add it to your coffee or tea?
Honey and lemon are common things to put in hot water, I think I will try that with some of my spices. Get the whole shebang. Warmth, water, lemon, spices . . . sound like a winner to me. How about you? Spices to drink?
Posted in Food | Tagged: Bay Area Nia, chai tea, cinnamon coffee, cinnamon tea, ginger tea, green tea, hot tea, lemon tea, lemon water, Los Gatos Nia, Nia, Nia class, Nia Los Gatos, Nia San Jose, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, spicy hot drink, tea leaves | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 21, 2012
Well, I bought the kale on a whim after Nia one day. My intention was to make kale chips. I think I looked up the recipe. The one I found said to remove the stems, then rip the kale into bite sized pieces, then wash it and spin it dry in a salad spinner. That is as far as I got. I don’t remember the rest. It would have served me much better to keep reading and remember the directions. I don’t have a salad spinner so I thought I would wash the kale before hand and let it dry. I was thinking that it being dry was very important. I think I decided that garbanzo beans need to be dry. But instead of drying the garbanzo beans with a paper towel the other day I put them in the oven on a low temp without any oil, but with a little bit of salt. I let them “dry” that way. Then I put olive oil and seasonings on them and roasted them. They came out very well. So I thought I would do the same thing with the kale. But this time I thought I would use my convection setting. I really ought to “listen” to my nose when it tells me something is burning. YUP! I burned the whole tray of kale. My convection only goes on at 300 degrees and I guess I was thinking kale was much heartier than it actually is. Sigh.
But with that lesson under my belt and a half of bunch left, I put the remaining kale on the cookie sheet. I just pulled the leafy greens off the stem at the same time I ripped it into bite sized pieces. And I washed it first because I didn’t want to be handling the dirty (it was really dirty) kale.
I spayed the pan with olive oil, then set the ripped pieces of kale on the pan, then sprayed the kale with olive oil, then sprinkled garlic salt on it.
I didn’t use the convection part, but I kept the oven at 300, but only for ten minutes. Let me tell you, the kale cooks a lot slower with the convection off and oil on it. I think I cooked it a total of forty minutes — maybe it was 30? I did turn the oven down to 200 after the first ten minutes. I can’t sit there and watch stuff cook so I thought 200 would be ok, and kept checking it. I think the last 10 minutes I turned the oven off. I think it is the type of thing that I will have to cook in ten minute intervals and check on.
It was ok. It taste like roasted lettuce to me. I don’t think it deserves the rave reviews that I have heard from people. And by no means can it beat a potato chip (as so many have claimed), but it is ok. It is a way to get some greens in. It is not too hard to make. It is a great thing to snack on. And I think my husband REALLY liked them. He kept reaching for them. Anytime he reaches for something over and over again, I know it is a hit! So I will be making them again. I probably will pay as much attention to cooking them as I did this time. I should have paid more attention because I knew I was going to post about it. But I didn’t. After I burned the first batch I was kind up grumpy at myself. The funny thing is, I burned the first batch because I was so excited to write my kale post. So I set the time more based on how long it would take me to finish up and post my article then how long it would take to dry the kale.
So have you made kale chips? Have you tried them?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: Garbanzo beans, Kale chips, leafy greens, Nia, potato chips, roasted garbanzo beans, vegan snack | 9 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 19, 2012
After a I teach Nia I am sweaty and going from a somewhat warm studio to the cold when you are wet is not fun. After Nia class yesterday I was so cold I just wanted to go straight home, but I had one stop to make in Willow Glen. But after that I had planned on jumping on the freeway and going straight home. Sometimes getting off the freeway at our exit is difficult. The most direct route requires one to go from the exit ramp across three to four lanes of a sometimes busy street. Most of the time I can safely move across to the turn lane, but every once in a while it is too trafficky and I don’t believe I should stop the people behind me on the ramp NOR the people driving on the street I am going to cross just because I want to make a left hand turn. I don’t believe in endangering others to make it easier on myself. So sometimes I just stay in the most right lane and drive through the light instead of turning left. Then I take a round about way home. But I get there just the same and I don’t stress other drivers or myself. Well, this happened yesterday when I was freezing and just wanted to get home. As I was deciding on my round about way home I realized I might as well just go to the grocery store since I was on that road already. We could always use fresh veggies so I decided to get some.
While I was in the store a woman started talking to me about eggplant. She said it was too difficult to cook so when her neighbors gives it to her she just throws it away. For on brief moment I considered asking her if I could give her my phone number and she could call me and I would take it! Then we started talking about some of the other vegetables that were in the same area. She was saying collard greens are good for you. I told her that my husband loves them. She asked me how I cooked them and I told her I sautéed them. She said she fried them, the same as the eggplant. While we were talking I noticed the Kale. I always forget about kale. I was happy that we were talking and it allowed me to focus for a moment on the kale. I bought some.
Kale is part of the cabbage family. It is just leaves. Kale is part of the family of vegetables that are called cruciferous vegetables. Some other cruciferous vegetables are broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
You know how I don’t understand plant species and families and all that. But more and more research is providing information that these types of vegetables are very good for us in regards to nutrients we need.
As much as we all know to take the governmental daily values with a grain of salt, a cup of kale has over 1300% of the daily value of vitamin K, over 350% of vitamin A, and over 80% of vitamin C. It also contains calcium and beta carotene. Research has shown that kale is rich in antioxidant, is an anti-inflammatory, and has properties that are thought to be of the anti-cancer nature. Steamed kale is thought to have cholesterol-lowering benefits.
According to Wiki: Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost. I, myself, am going to try to make the oh-so-talked-about-you-have-probably-heard-about-them kale chips. In fact I could swear that one of you — one of you that I read your blog — posted about kale chips, but I can’t remember who. I went looking but I couldn’t find the post.
Anyway . . . do you eat kale? If you do how do you eat it? I am going to go experiment right now!
Posted in Vegetables | Tagged: anti cancer, anti-inflamatory, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, choleseterol-lowering benefits, Collard Greens, cruciferous vegetables, Kale, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, plant families, plant species | 7 Comments »
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